It's the time of year when gift-giving is on everyone's mind. In downtown Fort Myers, people are getting a head start on Small Business Saturday.
"I don't do malls. I won't do the big stores like that at all," said Brittany Johnson.
If you are anything like Johnson, you enjoy browsing small local shops. She isn't alone. The streets of downtown Fort Myers are filled with smiles as people are also filling up their shopping bags.
Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is Small Business Saturday. It's a day dedicated to supporting local businesses during the holiday season.
"We have almost 20% off the entire store. So everybody needs to come down and support all the local small businesses we have in here. We have over 80 different small businesses within this small business," said Haley Hanson, manager of The Franklin Shops.
After hurricanes Helene and Milton, people who work downtown say things finally feel a bit more normal again.
Some businesses already have their Saturday deals starting early and extending throughout the holidays, so ask at the register before checking out.
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